Manhattan Cocktail Classic Announces Festival's Fifth Anniversary Edition on May 9-13, 2014 Featuring the Opening Night Gala at The New York Public Library

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, New York's peerless multi-day celebration of cocktails and culture, today announces the fifth anniversary edition of the festival that will take place on May 9-13, 2014. The five-day festival will once again include the famed opening night Gala at The New York Public Library, dozens upon dozens of spirited events throughout the city and top-flight educational seminars. Tickets will go on sale on March 14 at 12 noon EDT via the Classic's website, www.manhattancocktailclassic.com.

"We've been incredibly lucky to enjoy such amazing momentum," says Lesley Townsend Duval, Founder and Executive Director, Manhattan Cocktail Classic. "But I think a lot of that rests on the fact that most of the festival is crowd-sourced: brands, bartenders, bars, restaurants the folks who are on the front lines of igniting libations trends produce most of the annual programming, so I'd say this is very much a festival for cocktail enthusiasts by cocktail enthusiasts. It's an approach that keeps the festival fresh and relevant year after year, and keeps our faithful followers thirsty for more."

New York's Biggest Cocktail Party: The Opening Night Gala
On May 9, 2014, the iconic New York Public Library on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue will once again be transformed into one of the world's largest (and certainly most glamorous) cocktail extravaganzas. One of the city's most anticipated events of the year and drawing a crowd of over 3,000 elegantly-attired guests from across the nation and worldwide, this decadent, not-to-be-missed bacchanal will take over the Library's hallowed marbled halls, grand staircases and stately reading rooms for four magical hours of revelry, magic, and mischief (and around 25,000 hand-crafted cocktails). One of this year's highlights includes a craft vodka lounge with an all-female team of top bartenders.

Five Days of Revelry, Discernment, and Spirited Hijinks...
The fifth anniversary edition's independently produced, crowd-sourced events include the creation of the world's largest hand-muddled Caipirinha to honor the World Cup in Brazil; an exhibition and tasting of 100 small batch artisanal spirits; a local distillery visit; an indulgent pairing of chocolate and cocktails; and, a pig and punch fundraiser. Numerous seminars and interactive workshops at top watering holes round out the offerings.

Improve Your Spirits IQ at the 2014 Industry Invitational's NEW Location!
The festival's annual trade conference, the Industry Invitational, will be held this year at a stunning new venue, Convene Downtown, in the Financial District. Geared towards the festival's trade contingent of beverage and hospitality industry professionals, the 2014 conference offers two action packed days of seminars, panels, tastings, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities galore. The new venue includes a 212-person state-of-the-art amphitheater for keynote tasting seminars, a plethora of hospitality suites, bars, and lounges, and a spacious walk-around tasting exhibition. The relocation is part of the Classic's commitment to support the redevelopment efforts of the neighborhood, and to be part of FiDi's growing cocktail culture.

"Five years on, the Classic continues to provide an engaging platform for spirits big and small, for the people behind the bar, and for those enthusiastic about drinking better," says Julie Reiner, Beverage Director and Co-Owner,Clover Club andFlatiron Lounge. "And on a more personal level, it's great to see another female-owned and operated business thriving in this industry."

"Participating in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic is one of the most important marketing efforts of the year for us," says Allen Katz, Co-Founder, New York Distilling Company. "The event allows us to be front and center with a core customer group that is just as eager to taste our gins as we are to present them."

About the Manhattan Cocktail Classic
Part festival, part fete, part conference, part cocktail party the Manhattan Cocktail Classic is an annual celebration of the myriad points of intersection between cocktails and culture. With nearly 100 events spread across five days and three boroughs, the Classic offers a vast array of unique experiences to enthusiasts and professionals alike, expanding the very definition of what constitutes a "cocktail event." The fifth anniversary festival will take place on May 9-13, 2014. Cocktail fans should mark their calendars. Tickets will go on sale March 14 at 12 noon EDT. For additional information, please visit www.manhattancocktailclassic.com. Follow the Classic on Twitter at @cocktailclassic and "like" us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ManhattanCocktailClassic.